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Anthropology of Media – (M.A.)
School of Oriental and African Studies
Faculty of Arts and Humanities
- Programme website
- University Website
- City government site
- Student experiences about the UK - STeXX.eu
| Application Deadline: | June 30 | ||
| Annual Tuition Fee: | ≈ € 6,885 - ≈ € 15,134 (non-EEA) | ||
| Location: | London / United Kingdom / View location on map ▾ Hide location on map ▴ | ||
| Duration: | 12 months | Start Date: | September |
| Educational Form: |
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| Education Variants: |
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| Languages: | English | ||
Location of School of Oriental and African Studies
A wide range of students with different interests and backgrounds come to this programme from world over in order to explore why media matter. They are highly qualified with very diverse international interests. It is particularly suitable for:
- Students with a degree in media or cultural studies
- Students with a degree in the social sciences or humanities wishing to acquire a broad understanding of media and cultural studies with special reference to Asia or Africa
- People with professional experience in film, television, journalism, advertising or public relations
- Students with a degree in social anthropology wishing to pursue more specialist media-related topics along with regional or language-based study
- Students without a previous degree in Anthropology looking for an MA conversion degree to serve as a qualification for pursuing a further research degree in anthropology
Our world is inescapably and continuously transformed through a proliferation of media. The MA in Anthropology of Media at SOAS takes up the challenge of understanding how and why media matter. The programme uniquely combines anthropology, media and cultural studies with specific regional expertise in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. It provides students with critical skills, research methods, a wide-ranging understanding of media and the opportunity to pursue original research projects. The MA in Anthropology and Media is the first and still the only programme in Europe that specialises in bringing together contemporary anthropological concerns with media and cultural studies.
The MA in Anthropology of Media is a recent and rapidly growing field within the larger academic discipline of Anthropology. It both incorporates and challenges the well-established anthropological concerns with visual culture and ethnographic film through a more extensive examination of contemporary media practices. Along with the parallel disciplines of media and cultural studies, Anthropology of Media is now widely recognized as playing an increasingly important and critical role in current debates about media. It provides an alternative approach, which puts the emphasis upon studying the multiple relationships between people and media and thus seeks to anthropologise media and cultural studies. More than just focussing on media texts or technology, Anthropology of Media is marked by the centrality of people and how they relate to media.
The SOAS programme in Anthropology of Media is designed to provide a detailed introduction to the study of media in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and their diasporas. We also use the theoretical and methodological contributions of Anthropology to build upon and challenge Euro-American media and cultural studies. The programme stresses ethnographic approaches to media as cultural practices in social and political contexts where people inhabit, create and engage with media worlds.
Special Features
The Department cultivates several specialist strengths which distinguish it from other anthropology departments in the UK. The most obvious of these is that all members of the Department are specialists on Africa and Asia. Particular attention is given to teaching and researching regional ethnographic areas of expertise. All staff members are simultaneously attached as anthropologists to this Department and as regional specialists to their appropriate regional studies centre within the School.
SOAS also offers strong interdisciplinary support for the study of media including the Centre for Media and Film Studies and a highly regarded Department of Music. We have a dedicated multi-media suite, a radio station and satellite access to a wide range of world television. Further, the Library houses a major collection of books and journals on world media as well as extensive audio-visual materials.
Contents
The programme consists of four units in total: three units of taught examined courses and a one unit dissertation of 10,000 words. Some courses may be taught in other departments in the school.
Core Courses:
- Comparative Media Studies - 15 PAN C009 (1.0 unit).
- Dissertation in Anthropology and Sociology - 15PANC999 (1.0 unit). This is a 10,000 word dissertation on a topic agreed with the Programme Convenor of the MA Anthropology of Media and the candidate’s supervisor.
- Additionally all MA Anthropology students 'audit' the course Ethnographic Research Methods during term 1 - this will not count towards your 4 units.
Foundation Course
- Theoretical Approaches to Social Anthropology - 15PANC008 (1.0 unit). This is compulsory only for students without a previous anthropology degree.
Option Courses:
- The remaining unit(s) of your programme, either 1 unit of option courses (if taking Theoretical Approaches to Social Anthropology) or 2 units (if exempted from Theoretical Approaches to Social Anthropology), may then be selected from the Option Courses list below.
- Your 1 or 2 total units may be made up of any combination of 0.5 or 1 unit option courses.
- However, courses without a "15PANxxxx" course code are taught outside of the Anthropology Department. No more than 1 unit in total of these courses may be selected.
- Alternatively, one language course may be taken from the Faculty of Languages and Cultures.
Programme Detail
Compulsory Elements
- Comparative Media Studies - 15PANC009 (1 Unit) - Full Year
- Dissertation in Anthropology and Sociology - 15PANC999 (1 Unit) - Full Year
Foundation Course
- Theoretical Approaches to Social Anthropology - 15PANC008 (1 Unit) - Full Year
Option Courses
Half Unit Anthropology Options
- African and Asian Cultures in Britain - 15PANH009 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2
- African and Asian Diasporas in the Modern World - 15PANH010 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1
- Anthropology of travel and tourism A - 15PANH051 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1
- Anthropology of travel and tourism B - 15PANH052 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2
- Anthropology of Urban Space, Place and Architecture - 15PANH029 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2
- Approaches to the Other in Horror and Science Fiction Films - 15PANH043 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1
- Arab Cinemas - 15PMSH013 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1 - Not Running 2011/2012
- Asia and Africa On Display: Objects, Exhibitions and Transculturism - 15PARH043 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2
- Aspects of African film and video 2 - 15PAFH007 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2
- Comparative Study of Islam: Anthropological Perspectives A (Masters) - 15PANH047 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1
- Comparative Study of Islam: Anthropological Perspectives B (Masters) - 15PANH048 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1 - Not Running 2011/2012 - Must be taken with the first term course - 15PANH047 Comparative Study of Islam: Anthropological Perspectives A (Masters)
- Diaspora Contexts and Visual Culture - 15PARH042 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1
- Ethnographic Research Methods - 15PANH002 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1
- Gender and development - 15PDSH010 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2
- Issues in the Anthropology of Gender - 15PANH024 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2 - Not to be combined with 15PDSH010 Gender & Development.
- Genders and Sexualities in South East Asian Film - 15PSEH011 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1 - Not Running 2011/2012
- Indian Cinema: Its History and Social Context - 15PSAH001 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1
- Indian Cinema: Key Issues - 15PSAH002 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1
- Iranian Cinema - 15PMSH010 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1
- International Political Communication - 15PMSH009 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1 - Not Running 2011/2012
- Issues in the Anthropology of Film - 15PANH022 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2
- Modern Film from Taiwan and the Chinese Diaspora - 15PCHH002 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2
- Food, Body and Society - 15PANH041 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1 - Cannot be taken with 15PANH042 Food, Development And The Global Economy
- Food, Development and the Global Economy - 15PANH042 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2 - Cannot be taken with 15PANH041 Food, Body And Society
- Japanese Post-War Film Genres and the Avant-Garde - 15PMSH001 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1 - Not Running 2011/2012
- Japanese Television since 1953 - 15PJKC006 (1 Unit) - Full Year
- Japanese Transnational Cinema: From Kurosawa to Asia Extreme and Studio Ghibli - 15PMSH017 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1 - Not Running 2011/2012
- Media Production Skills - 15PANH050 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2
- Mediated Culture in the Middle East: Politics and Commmunications - 15PMSH003 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1
- Modern Chinese Film and Theatre (MA) - 15PCHH001 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1
- Post-crisis Thai Cinema (1997-2007) - 15PSEH008 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1 - Not Running 2011/2012
- (Post) Colonialism and Otherness in South East Asia on Screen - 15PSEH010 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1 - Not Running 2011/2012
- Rethinking Audiences - 15PMSH011 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1 - Not Running 2011/2012
- The Transnational News Environment: Production, Representation and Use - 15PMSH006 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1 - Not Running 2011/2012
- Therapy and Culture - 15PANH027 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1
- Transnational Communities and Diasporic Media: Network, Connect, Identity - 15PMSH004 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1 - Not Running 2011/2012
- Culture and Society of China - 15PANC089 (1 Unit) - Full Year
- Culture and Society of East Africa - 15PANC084 (1 Unit) - Full Year
Full Unit Anthropology Options
May include a language unit taught in the Faculty of Languages & Cultures.
- Culture and Society of Japan - 15PANC086 (1 Unit) - Full Year
- Culture and Society of South Asia - 15PANC087 (1 Unit) - Full Year
- Culture and Society of South East Asia - 15PANC088 (1 Unit) - Full Year
- Culture and Society of West Africa - 15PANC083 (1 Unit) - Full Year
- Culture and Society of the Near & Middle East - 15PANC097 (1 Unit) - Full Year
- Film and Society in the Middle East - 15PNMC230 (1 Unit) - Full Year
- Ethnomusicology in Practice - 15PMUC004 (1 Unit) - Full Year
- Music in Selected Regions of Africa: Contexts and Structures - 15PMUC006 (1 Unit) - Full Year - Not Running 2011/2012
- Music of the Near and Middle East and North Africa - 15PMUC033 (1 Unit) - Full Year
- Photography and the Image in Africa; and Other Regional Prospectives - 15PARC036 (1 Unit) - Full Year - Not Running 2011/2012
You are normally required to take an English Proficiency Test if you come from a non-English speaking country.
Most European Universities recognise the IELTS test.
More informationRequirements
Minimum Entry Requirements: The minimum of an upper second-class BA degree (or equivalent). Some exceptions are made for those with significant experience in a relevant media related career.
English language requirements
In order to ensure that SOAS students have a sufficient standard of English to study effectively, we require overseas students to submit evidence, during the application process, of their current level of proficiency.
Score for Unconditional Entry
- IELTS: Overall 7+ with at least 7 in all sub scores
- TOEFL: iBT105+ with at least 25 in all sub scores
- Pearson Test of English - Academic: Score of 75 or above with at least 70 in all sub scores
Additional Requirements
| Minimal degree required: | Bachelor's degree |
| Minimal amount of work experience | Not specified |
Language Proficiency
| IELTS Band: | 7.0 |
| TOEFL Internet-based: | 105 |
Funding details
Scholarships and BursariesThere are some scholarships and bursaries available for postgraduate students. These are very competitive and early application is advised.
Loans
Another way to fund your studies is through educational loans. Some high street banks offer loans for education. The other option is a career development loan. Before taking out a loan ensure that you understand what the repayments will be and that you will be able to afford them.
Professional and Career Development LoansA Professional and Career Development Loan is a bank loan for UK students designed to help you pay for your course. Repayments start one month after you complete your course. You can borrow between £300 and £8,000. The bank will approve your loan according to your credit rating.
US Federal LoansEligible US students can apply for Stafford Federal Loans, Federal Plus and private loans to cover their tuition and maintenance costs.
The Registry Fees and Scholarship section can also certify student registration for other loans, such as Canadian educational loans.
Please contact:
- Registry Fees Section if you have any queries on educational loans or fees for degree courses.
- Noel Connaughton for fees information for occasional courses, certificates and diplomas.
- CEFIMS for fees information for distance learning courses.
Other Sources of Funding
Useful funding information can also be found at:
- Hotcourses Scholarship Search
- HERO funding information for research students
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